Jordan, who casually stayed out of politics during his heyday in the 1990s — he was attributed in the 1995 bookSecond Coming with the quote, "Republicans buy shoes, too" in explaining his lack of a political agenda — didn't offer any political perspective in his statement. Trump had ended his tweet on Friday by saying, "I like Mike!" in an apparent reference to Jordan over James as a basketball player.

Jordan previously supported NFL players who chose to kneel in protest during the national anthem when Trump was publicly condemning them for what he perceived as disrespecting the American flag.

"Those who exercise the right to peacefully express themselves should not be demonized or ostracized," Jordan said last September, without directly addressing Trump. "At a time of increasing divisiveness and hate in this country, we should be looking for ways to work together and support each other and not create more division."

James expressed similar sentiments while addressing Trump head on in his CNN interview with Lemon on Monday, which came after he cut the ribbon on his foundation's new I Promise School in his native Akron, Ohio. In the CNN interview, James said Trump has been "using sports to kind of divide us, and that's something that I can't relate to."

"Sports has never been something that divides people. It’s always been something that brings someone together," James said.

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The LeBron James Family Foundation partnered with Akron Public Schools to launch the I Promise School for at-risk elementary students in the superstar's hometown in northeast Ohio. Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports